The present application claims the benefits of Canadian Patent Application No. 2,363,299 filed Nov. 9, 2001 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/071,436 filed Feb. 8, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,847 all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a support slat that can be used during the handling of stacked articles or in any other such applicable situation. This support slat is notably well adapted for use with bundles of wood pieces, and in particular with plywood or particle boards, when used in conjunction with a corresponding support beam.
During the handling of stacked articles, it is important that the different sets of articles be stacked in a stable and secured fashion. This has not always been the case up to now, in particular for articles whose dimensions exceed those of a standard wood pallet. For example, in the case of plywood boards, a plurality of boards are placed one on top of the other and tightened with metallic belts or any other such fastener so that the whole be made integral. A pair of support beams, generally made from a solid piece of wood or from the superposition of particle boards nailed together and cut according to the desired length, are then placed under each bundle in order to space them from the floor, in the case of the bottom bundle, or from the top of a bundle located just below. This spacing allows the insertion of forks from a forklift under the bundle in order to lift and move it.
The one-piece integrally molded support beam, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,847,is a highly suitable alternative to the wooden support beams that were used until now. The use of this support beam allows an increased efficiency and a lower operation cost. It is reusable, waterproof, recyclable and provided with suitable phytosanitary properties.
When securing stacked articles, the tension in the belts are often very high. This may damage the edges of the articles. To solve this problem, it is common to use wood pieces in order to prevent direct contact between the horizontal and upper portions of the belts with the articles placed on the top of the stacks. These wood pieces have, however, the drawback of interfering with other stacks that may be placed directly on top thereof. The wood pieces provide very little or even no resistance to relative movement between the various stacks when placed on top each others. In certain circumstances, this may cause problems during truck transportation or the like, since the stacks may be subjected to forces urging them to move relative to each other.
Another drawback of using wood pieces is that they are not always uniform and may crack, rap or degrade over time. Restrictions regarding phytopathogens may also forbid their use with articles intended for exportation.
The present invention is a support slat which is designed to solve the problem of direct contact between the belts and the article or articles placed on the tops of the stack, that being done without interfering with the other stacks that may be placed above. Another advantage of this support slat is that it allows to increase the sliding resistance of a support beam placed on top thereof, in particular during the transport of the stacks articles.
The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description, which is made with reference to the appended figures.